Roads (Noise Reduction)

Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) pursuant to his written statement of 1 April 2003, Official Report, column 49WS, on trunk roads, when he will announce the concrete roads due to be resurfaced from April 2007; [109029]

(2) what budget has been allocated for noise reduction work on concrete roads and motorways for (a) 200304 and (b) 200405; [108980]

(3) what percentage of the money allocated for noise reduction work on the motorway network for 200203 was spent; [108979]

(4) what criteria are used for selecting which roads should be resurfaced for noise reduction. [108981]

Mr. Jamieson:
I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Oaten, dated 14 April 2003:

David Jamieson has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about noise reduction measures on the trunk road and motorway network.

In 200203, the Agency spent £5.9 million on noise mitigation measures such as noise barriers on trunk roads and motorways, against a ring fenced annual budget of £5 million. In addition, it is our policy to use low-noise surfacing whenever a road surface needs renewing. In 200203, £235 million was spent on resurfacing trunk roads and motorways, two per cent. above the budget for this work.

For 200304, the allocation for resurfacing concrete trunk roads and motorways is £52 million. The programme for 200405 is currently still under development. We shall be resurfacing the highest priority sections of concrete road ahead of maintenance need, in order to reduce traffic noise.

14 Apr 2003 : Column 591W

Following consultation with local highways authorities and others, the following criteria were announced on 17 October 2001 for prioritising the surfacing of concrete roads with quieter material:

(i) that wherever possible the application of quieter surfaces will fit in with normal maintenance needs;

(ii) that priority will be given to those sites where treatment would benefit the greatest number of people;

(iii) that the works will be carried out in such a way to minimise disruption to the general public and users of the network;

(iv) that priority will be given to roads, opened since June 1988, where actual noise levels have turned out to be significantly higher than predicted at the time of the public inquiry.

These criteria have been used to prioritise the list of schemes announced on 1 April. The main determinants of priority are the number of properties affected (proxy for criterion ii) and for newer roads, the increase in noise levels above those predicted at public inquiry (criterion iv). The high priority group is defined by sections of road which affect more than 100 properties per km or for which the current noise level is at least 3 dB(A) greater than predicted at public inquiry (an increase of 3 dB(A) is equivalent to the noise increase expected from a doubling of the volume of traffic on a road). The medium priority group is defined by sections of road which affect more than 10 properties per km or for which the current noise level is 1 dB(A) greater than predicted at public inquiry, which equates to a noticeable noise increase.

It is expected that the sections indicated as having a high priority will be completed by the end of March 2007, subject to funding being available. We expect to resurface sections of road in the medium or low priority groups between April 2007 and March 2011, subject to funding being available. Where there is an identified maintenance need, some of the medium or low priority sections may be resurfaced earlier, for road safety reasons.

Rural Transport

Mr. Luff:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the policies of passenger transport executives on services in the rural areas adjacent to the area of such passenger transport executives; and if he will make a statement. [109176]

Mr. Jamieson:
I have made no such assessment.

Chris Grayling:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applicants from the South East for funding under the Rural Transport Partnership Fund have (a) been rejected and (b) are awaiting funding. [107298]

Alun Michael:
I have been asked to reply.

159 applications for Rural Transport Partnership project grants have been received from the South East in 20022003. Of these 143 have been approved, five rejected and seven are awaiting a decision on their application. All successful Rural Transport Partnership Grant applications can access their agreed funding without any delay.

For the pending applications, the Countryside Agency is either waiting for applicants to provide a business plan, missing information or are obtaining specialist advice on the application.

Secondments

Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many individuals have been seconded to his Department from (a) the private sector, (b) NGOs and (c) other, in each case listing (i) from which organisation and (ii) dates of secondments, in (A) 200102 and (B) 200203. [108089]

Mr. Jamieson:
The information requested is listed in the following two tables.

Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regionsinward secondments 200102

Start

End

Organisation

Year

Month

Year

Month

NGOstwo

Audit Commission (NDPB)

2002

January

2003

January

Audit Commission (NDPB)

2001

October

2002

October

Private Sector13

ADFC Ltd.

2001

September

2002

September

Home Group Ltd.

2002

February

2003

February

Accord plc

2001

September

2002

September

The Security Service

2000

August

2002

September

Rosebery Housing

2001

June

2003

May

SERCO Ltd.

2001

June

2002

September

Railtrack

2000

December

2003

November

Savage Crangle Partners

2001

October

2002

October

Pricewaterhousecoopers

2001

September

2002

September

British Telecom

2000

July

2001

July

Railtrack

2001

July

2004

September

Halcrow Ltd.

2000

October

2002

October

Babtie Group Ltd.

2001

September

2002

September

PEP Ltd. (Priority Estate Project)

2001

June

2003

June

Other81

Essex Fire Service

2001

February

2003

January

Manchester cc

2001

January

2003

April

Devon Fire Brigade

2001

October

2003

October

Housing Corporation

2000

February

2003

April

University of East London

2002

May

2004

May

Cambridgeshire CC

2000

October

2002

October

Crime Concern

2000

January

2003

December

Assoc of London Government

1999

June

2002

October

Urban Projects

2002

July

2003

July

South Wales File Service

2001

July

2003

July

CPEA Ltd.

2002

May

2003

May

Civil Aviation Authority

2001

June

2003

June

Suffolk Fire Service

2001

July

2003

July

Sheffield Hallam University

2001

October

2002

October

Royal Berkshire Fire Service

1996

March

2003

August

Housing Corporation

2001

September

2002

September

LB Haringey

2002

February

2002

September

Hampshire County Council

2000

September

2002

September

Development Trust Association

1999

August

2004

July

Voluntary Service Council

2001

October

2002

September

GLAGreater London Authority

2002

March

2003

March

London Fire Brigade

2002

January

2004

January

Basildon District Council

2001

July

2003

July

Somerset Homes

2001

May

2004

May

Business In The Community

2001

April

2004

April

Knowsley Borough Council

2001

July

2003

January

Calderdale MBC

2001

May

2003

May

LB Newham

2002

September

2003

May

Bedfordshire Fire Service

2001

April

2003

April

Bradford MDC

2002

February

2004

February

Housing Corporation

2001

September

2003

September

Architecture Foundation

2002

May

2002

October

Shelter

2002

August

2003

April

Safer Merthyr Tydfil

2000

May

2003

April

Oxford cc

2002

Mar

2003

February

Swedish Rail Traffic Admin

2002

May

2002

August

Help the Aged (was LB Camden until June 2002)

2001

November

2003

March

Irwell Valley Housing Association

2002

June

2003

June

Lanes Fire Rescue

2002

January

2004

January

Hertfordshire Fire Service

2000

July

2002

July

Newham Council

2002

January

2003

January

Norfolk Police

2001

January

2004

January

London Thames Gateway Forum

2002

August

2003

August

Bristol cc

2001

April

2003

March

South Wales Fire Service

1994

December

2002

November

Tyne and Wear Fire Authority

2001

February

2003

March

London Fire Brigade

2002

May

2003

May

London Fire Authority

2001

June

2003

June

Greater London Enterprise

2001

September

2002

December

Kirklees Council

2000

November

2002

November

Sutton CC

2001

July

2002

October

Birmingham CC

2001

September

2003

March

The Church of England

1999

May

2003

May

Trafford Town Hall

2000

September

2002

September

London Fire Authority

2001

June

2003

May

East Sussex Fire Brigade

2002

February

2004

February

South Yorkshire Fire Service

2001

July

2003

July

Leicester Fire Services

1999

September

2002

September

CAA

2002

December





Buckinghamshire County Council

2001

October

2002

October

ENCAMS

2002

January

2003

April

Bedfordshire Fire Service

2000

February

2003

February

Inner London Probation Service

2001

March

2005

March

London Voluntary Service Council

2001

October

2003

September

West Somerset District Council

2002

January

2002

September

Lambeth County Council

2001

July

2003

July

London Fire Authority

2001

September

2003

September

National Housing Federation

2001

October

2002

September

London Borough of Camden

2002

September

2003

May

Kent Fire Service

2001

December

2003

November

Essex County Council

2001

May

2003

May

Birmingham CC

2001

June

2002

December

West Sussex Fire Service

2001

January

2003

March

Surrey County Council

2002

January

2003

July

Tower Hamlets

2001

April

2003

March

Merseyside Fire Brigade

2002

March

2003

February

Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust

2002

April

2003

March

Kent County Council

2001

March

2003

March

Serco Local Government

2002

March

2002

August

Manchester Police

2000

December

2002

December

London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority

2001

February

2003

January

14 Apr 2003 : Column 595W

DfT inward secondments 200203

Start

End

Organisation

Year

Month

Year

Month

Privatetwo

Railtrack (Network Rail)

2000

December

2003

November

The Security Service

2000

September

2002

September

Otherseven

Civil Aviation Authority

2001

June

2003

June

Japanese Government

2003

April

2003

September

University of the West of England

2002

February

2004

February

Norfolk Police

2001

January

2004

January

CAA

2002

December





Buckinghamshire County Council

2001

October

2003

October

Swedish Rail Traffic Admin





2002

August

Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants have been seconded from his Department to (a) the private sector, (b) NGOs and (c) other, broken down by (i) grade of civil servants